[Federal Register: January 22, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 14)]

[Notices]               

[Page 3574]



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS



Copyright Office

[Docket No. 99-1]



 

Change of Mailing Address for Notices of Intent To Enforce a 

Restored Copyright



AGENCY: Copyright Office, Library of Congress.



ACTION: Notice.



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SUMMARY: The Copyright Office is notifying the public of a change of 

mailing address for the submission of Notices of Intent to Enforce 

(NIE) a restored copyright and registration claims in restored works 

under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA). The number of filings 

submitted during the first two years of the restoration period 

necessitated the use of a special post office box, but the number of 

such filings has dramatically decreased making it unnecessary for the 

Office to maintain this box. All future NIEs, and GATT registrations 

should be mailed to the pertinent address specified in this notice.



EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice is effective February 22, 1999.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marilyn J. Kretsinger, Assistant 

General Counsel, Copyright GC/I&R, P.O. Box 70400, Southwest Station, 

Washington, D.C. 20024. Telephone: (202) 707-8380. Telefax: (202) 707-

8366.



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Uruguay Round General Agreement on 

Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA) 

(Pub. L. No. 103-465; 108 Stat. 4809 (1994)) provide for the 

restoration of copyright in certain works that were in the public 

domain in the United States. Copyright protection was restored on 

January 1, 1996, in certain works by foreign nationals or domiciliaries 

that had entered the public domain for failure to comply with certain 

requirements prescribed by U.S. copyright law. See, 17 U.S.C. 104A 

(1994).

    A copyright owner of any work meeting the requirements of section 

104A may register a copyright claim in the restored work during the 

life of the copyright. The copyright owner may file a Notice of Intent 

to Enforce (NIE) the restored copyright in the Copyright Office within 

two years of eligibility. This NIE serves as constructive notice on any 

reliance party--anyone who is already using the work or acquired copies 

of the work before the date of enactment of the URAA. Alternatively, 

the owner may file actual notice on a reliance party at any time.

    The URAA also requires the Register of Copyrights to publish lists 

in the Federal Register identifying a restored work and its owner[s] if 

an NIE has been filed by a party who is eligible to file. Thus, 

depending on its receipt of filings by eligible parties the Office may 

continue periodically to publish lists.

    During the first two years, because of the large number of expected 

filings and the special processing they required, the Office 

established a particular mailing address for the filing of NIEs and 

registration of copyright claims in GATT restored works. It also 

created special GATT forms for registration of works and published a 

format for filing NIEs. The initial two year period for filing with the 

Office ended, for the overwhelming majority of countries, on December 

31, 1997. Consequently, the number of filings has decreased 

drastically; therefore, the special address is no longer needed.

    This notice is to inform all interested parties that the current 

mailing addresses for filing NIEs and GATT registrations, URAA/GATT, 

NIEs and Registrations, P.O. Box 72400, Southwest Station, Washington, 

D.C. 20024, USA is no longer effective. The new address for filing NIEs 

is GC/I&R, P.O. Box 70400, Southwest Station, Washington, D.C. 20024. 

The new address for GATT registrations is the same as for all other 

registrations: Library of Congress, Copyright Office, 101 Independence 

Avenue, S.E., Washington,